


Crooked Wheels Keep Turning

by anthologia



Series: The Uncreatively-Named A/B/O Verse [4]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Anxiety, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fear gas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-18 12:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5927767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anthologia/pseuds/anthologia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A place for works in the same general universe as "Somewhere in the Pages We Forgot".</p><p>Newest: Dick gets hit by Scarecrow's most recent concoction, Tim and Jason help him through it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Watching Your Shadows (Tim & Jason)

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this one because I had trouble imagining Dick being okay with letting Jason into the relationship if he'd actually attacked Tim like he did in canon. At least, not without a lot of work.
> 
> Fic and first chapter titles from "This Is Your Life" by the Killers.

He _really_ fucking means to do it. He breaks into the Titans Tower with every intention of beating the shit out of the replacement Robin, proving a _point_ that he’s not replaceable, that Bruce couldn’t just put the costume on another kid and pretend nothing had ever happened. (Pretend _Jason_ had never happened.) When Talia showed him those pictures of the new Robin in flight, something shattered inside him, forced him to face the fact that Bruce had shrugged off his death and kept going.

The bastard hadn’t even killed the Joker for what he’d done.

So yeah. He went to the Tower, knocked out Cyborg and Beast Boy. Dosed Raven with some sleeping gas so she wouldn’t wake up at an inconvenient time. Then he got to Robin’s room, and it all fell apart.

Because he finds Tim Drake instead of Robin. She’s still wearing the costume, even has the domino mask on, but she’s not using the voice modulator or the scent blockers Bruce uses to obscure their identities. She’s a real girl, not a prop or a cardboard target, who sounds like she can’t be much older than sixteen and smells like sugar and summer rain and comic books, and he just _knows_ he can’t do it.

“Look, it’s okay,” she’s saying into her cell phone. “I’ll ask Cyborg for a ride home. Good luck.”

He sighs, relaxing his fingers and releasing the fists they’d clenched into. She twists around at the noise, already reaching out for her bo staff, but he’s not attacking. He’s not _going_ to attack. “I need a goddamn drink.”


	2. You Know I'm On Your Side (Dick/63!Tim/Jason)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place somewhere before "Somewhere in the Pages We Forgot", probably. Chapter title from the same old song.

The door slams open, and Jason drags Dick into the apartment. Tim _was_ in the middle of going over some surveillance data from a few sources, but she shoves that aside immediately. “What happened?”

“Scarecrow.” Jason’s more than capable of supporting Dick’s weight on his own, but Tim still hurries over and ducks under Dick’s arm to help keep him steady. Up close, he’s putting off a cocktail of fear and stress and _hurt_ so strong that she practically gags on it. “Already gave him something for it. He’ll be fine, just needs to wait it out.”

It takes some maneuvering to get them to her bedroom, during which she’s not even sure Dick’s aware of her presence until she tries to detach herself to get the door and he suddenly has a death grip on her arm, holding her in place. Thank god for her extra-large bed, because Dick pretty much collapses onto the mattress and drags both of them down with him. Tim gets pinned under his arm and has to do some creative wriggling to avoid getting squished.

“Dick, I need to grab some stuff,” Jason says from the other side of the bed, where Dick has a pretty firm grip on him, too. “Can you let go of me for a minute?”

It’s so obvious he wants to say no, but Dick nods jerkily instead. “Don’t – be gone for long?”

“’Course not.” Jason leans over to kiss Dick before carefully disentangling himself from Dick’s grasp.

Tim starts to sit up, too, but gets stopped by Dick’s hand on her arm. “Tim?” he says, sounding uncertain and lost, and she really, _really_ hopes that someone gave Crane an extra-hard punch for her.

“I’m not going anywhere.” She takes hold of his hand and tugs the glove off before kissing his palm. “I’m just going to help you get out of the suit.” There probably isn’t any contaminant still clinging to it – she and Jason would’ve been feeling it by now – but it’s not going to be all that comfortable to lie around in for long.

He gives her a slight nod, permission to go on, so she starts work on peeling him out it. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’ve, um.” Dick’s hand clenches and relaxes a few times. Working off anxious energy. “I’ve been better.”

She squeezes his hand and finishes pulling off the Nightwing suit. Normally, she’d put it somewhere safe for later decontamination, but dropping it off the side of the bed will have to do for now.

“Everyone’s undressing without me? Rude,” Jason says. He’s brought a few basic fear toxin survival items (water, restraints in case it gets _really_ bad, a sedative for absolute worst-case-scenario) on the bedside table and strips off his shirt and jeans before climbing back onto the bed.

Dick huffs out a laugh. “That’s what you get for leaving, Little Wing.”

“That’s what _both_ of you get for failing to observe basic hygienic standards like showering after patrol,” Tim says primly.

“Yeah, all I hear is _I’m not a team player_ , Babybird.” Jason settles into Dick’s side and lets Dick sling an arm around him, holding him there. “I’m calling it. No pants or shirts allowed. Offenders get kicked out.”

“This is _my bed_ ,” Tim points out. She does pull off her shirt and jeans before lying back down, though; they’re basically just bantering for Dick’s benefit right now, giving him something external to focus on. Besides, Dick likes tactile proof that they’re _right there_ , and the more skin-to-skin contact, the better.

Once she’s comfortably curled around him, she can feel Dick start to relax. It’s not a huge improvement, but it’s hopeful. “Better?” she whispers, just to be sure.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

She kisses him on the cheek. “Anytime, Dick.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you are interested in my fics and want more, I have an account at syntactition.tumblr.com where I have bits of stories that are currently in the works and other ficlets and stories that haven't made their way to AO3.


End file.
